Permanent  Pan-American  Railway 
Committee 

Report  to  the  Third  International  Conference 
of  the  American  States 


UNIVERSITY 
CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


REPORT 


PERMANENT  PAN-AMERICAN  RAILWAY  COMMITTEE 


THIRD  INTERNATIONAL  CONFERENCE 


OF    THE 


AMERICAN    STATES 


TO  BE  HELD  AT  RIO  DE  JANEIRO,  JULY,  1906. 


f  c. 


J956 


eon 

WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 
1906. 


REPORT 


PERMANENT  PAN-AMERICAN  RAILWAY  COMMITTEE 


THIRD  INTERNATIONAL  CONFERENCE 


AMERICAN    STATES 


TO  BE  HELD  AT  RIO  DE  JANEIRO,  JULY,  1906. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1906. 


Permanent  Pan-Ameriean  Railway  Committee  authorized  by  the 
Second  International  Conference  of  American  States. 


H.  G.  DAVIS,          .         .         .         .         .of  West  Virginia. 
ANDREW  CARNEGIE,   ....         of  New  York. 

J.  D.  CASASUS, of  Mexico. 

M.  ALVAREZ  CALDERON,     ...         of  Peru. 

A.  LAZO-ARRIAGA,  .         .         .         .of  Guatemala. 

CHARLES  M.  PEPPER,          ...         of  Illinois. 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


ELKINS,  W.  VA.,  June  p,  1906. 
HON.  ELIHU  ROOT, 

Secretary  of  State, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

MY  DEAR  MR.  SECRETARY:  The  Second  Pan-American  Confer- 
ence, held  in  the  City  of  Mexico  during  the  winter  of  1901-2, 
created  the  Permanent  Pan-American  Railway  Committee  and 
stipulated  that  it  report  the  result  of  its  labors  to  the  next  con- 
ference. As  chairman  of  the  said  committee,  I  have  this  day  for- 
warded its  report  to  Mr.  Buchanan,  with  the  request  that  it  may 
be  presented  through  him  to  the  Third  Pan-American  Conference 
about  to  be  held  in  Brazil.  In  order  that  the  State  Department 
may  be  fully  advised  in  the  matter,  I  beg  to  send  herewith  for  its 
files  a  copy  of  the  report  and  accompanying  papers. 

Very  truly  yours, 

H.  G.  DAVIS, 

Chairman, 
Permanent  Pan-American  Railway  Committee. 


876265 


REPORT  OF  THE   COMMITTEE. 


WASHINGTON,  June  15,  1906. 
To  the  Third  International  American  Conference, 

Rio  de  Janeiro. 

MESSRS.  DELEGATES:  I  beg  leave  to  submit,  in  accordance  with 
the  instructions  of  the  Second  International  American  Conference, 
which  created  the  Permanent  Pan-American  Railway  Committee, 
the  following  report: 

The  Second  Conference,  at  the  sessions  held  in  the  City  of 
Mexico,  appointed  a  committee  on  the  Pan-American  Railway, 
which  made  a  full  report  on  the  general  subject.  This  action  was 
in  furtherance  of  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  First  Conference  at 
the  meeting  in  Washington  in  1889-90,  which  recommended  an 
International  Commission.  This  Commission  was  appointed,  and 
under  its  direction  the  intercontinental  survey  of  the  Pan-American 
Railway  routes  was  made  and  published,  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States  and  the  Governments  of  the  other  Republics  having  coop- 
erated in  providing  the  funds.  No  other  steps,  however,  were  taken 
for  making  the  project  a  continuous  one  until  the  Second  Conference 
assembled. 

The  Mexican  Conference,  in  ratifying  the  resolution  of  the  Wash- 
ington Conference,  which  recommended  "the  construction  of  the 
complementary  lines  of  the  International  Railway  which  is  to  trav- 
erse the  different  Republics,"  made  provision  for  the  continuity  and 
permanence  of  the  project  by  authorizing  the  appointment  of  a  per- 
manent committee,  whose  members  should  be  resident  in  the  United 
States.  The  resolution  provided — 

That  the  president  of  the  conference  shall  appoint  a  committee  of  five  members, 
resident  in  the  United  States  of  America,  which  shall  enter  upon  its  functions  after 
the  adjournment  of  this  conference,  with  power  to  increase  the  number  of  its  mem- 
bers and  to  substitute  them  whenever  necessary;  to  appoint  such  subcommittee  as 
may  be  deemed  proper,  and  to  report  to  the  next  conference  on  the  result  of  its 
labors;  to  furnish  all  possible  information  on  the  work  of  the  Intercontinental 
Railway,  and  to  aid  and  stimulate  the  successful  execution  of  said  project  as  much 
as  possible.  *  *  * 

5 


Under  these  instructions  the  president  of  the  Mexican  Confer- 
ence appointed  the  following  committee: 

H.  G.  Davis,  of  West  Virginia,  chairman; 

Andrew  Carnegie,  of  New  York; 

Manuel  de  Aspiroz,  ambassador  from  Mexico; 

Manuel  Alvarez  Calderon,  minister  from  Peru; 

A.  Lazo-Arriaga,  minister  from  Guatemala. 

The  committee  met  in  Washington  for  organization  and  held 
meetings  from  time  to  time.  At  the  meeting  January  21,  1903,  it 
was  decided,  in  conformity  with  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the 
Mexican  Conference,  that  a  commissioner  should  be  sent  to  the 
various  Republics,  whose  duty  it  should  be  accurately  to  determine 
the  resources  of  the  different  countries  and  the  condition  of  the 
railway  lines  in  operation,  the  prospects  of  business  for  an  inter- 
continental line,  and  what  concessions  or  assistance  the  respective 
Governments  might  be  willing  to  grant  the  enterprise. 

Mr.  Charles  M.  Pepper,  who  had  been  one  of  the  delegates  from 
the  United  States  to  the  Mexican  Conference,  was  selected  as  the 
representative  of  the  committee.  The  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
following  the  recommendation  of  the  Mexican  Conference,  author- 
ized the  appointment  of  a  commissioner  and  made  a  small  appro- 
priation for  the  expenses  of  the  mission.  This  was  supplemented 
by  the  chairman  and  by  Mr.  Carnegie. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  committee  held  March  5,  1903,  a  resolution 
was  adopted  recommending  to  President  Roosevelt  and  Secretary 
Hay  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Pepper,  which  was  done,  and  the  rep- 
resentative of  the  committee  thus  became  the  official  representative 
of  the  United  States  also.  It  is  proper  to  refer  here  to  the  sympa- 
thetic interest  taken  by  Secretary  Hay  in  the  work  of  the  committee, 
which  was  shown  both  by  his  personal  consultations  with  its  mem- 
bers and  by  his  official  instructions  to  the  diplomatic  representatives 
of  the  United  States,  directing  them  to  extend  all  the  facilities  of 
their  position  in  furtherance  of  the  project  of  the  Pan-American 
Railway,  and  especially  in  bringing  to  the  attention  of  the  Govern- 
ments of  the  various  Republics  the  interest  that  the  Government  of 
the  United  States  felt. 

A  year  was  spent  by  the  Special  Commissioner  in  visiting  the 
different  countries,  gathering  the  general  information  that  was 
desired — especially  in  regard  to  their  internal  and  external  trade — 
and  in  helping  to  make  the  purpose  of  the  Intercontinental  line 
and  its  benefits  better  known  to  the  nations  directly  interested. 
On  his  return  in  the  spring  of  1904  a  full  report  was  submitted,  giv- 
ing the  results  of  the  investigation  made  and  accompanied  by  a  map 
drawn  under  the  direction  of  the  committee,  which  showed  both  the 


general  Intercontinental  route  and  branches  and  the  actual  railway 
construction  at  that  time.  This  report  was  transmitted  to  Congress 
by  President  Roosevelt,  and  Congress,  in  providing  for  its  general 
distribution,  set  aside  several  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  the 
committee.  In  addition  to  the  regular  methods  of  distribution  a 
special  provision  was  made  for  the  St.  Louis  Exposition.  The  docu- 
ment was  translated  into  Spanish  by  the  Bureau  of  American 
Republics  and  was  published  in  the  Monthly  Bulletin.  A  copy  of 
the  report  is  submitted  herewith  for  the  general  information  it  con- 
tains on  the  subject  under  discussion.  For  the  same  reason  a  copy 
of  the  report  presented  to  the  Second  Conference  by  the  Committee 
on  the  Pan-American  Railway  is  annexed. 

Additional  reports  concerning  the  progress  of  the  enterprise  and 
the  activity  of  the  various  Republics  in  sustaining  it  were  received 
at  a  dinner  given  by  the  chairman  of  the  committee  in  March,  1905, 
which  was  attended  by  the  diplomatic  representatives,  who  gave  the 
details  of  railway  construction  in  their  respective  countries  and 
explained  the  policies  of  their  Governments.  On  this  occasion  a 
letter  was  read  from  Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie  in  which  he  advocated 
that  the  United  States  should  give  $100,000,000  toward  the  Inter- 
continental Railway,  conditioned  upon  the  Spanish-American 
Republics  pledging  their  credit  for  an  equal  sum.  Hon.  S.  B. 
Elkins,  Chairman  of  the  Senate  Committee  on  Interstate  Commerce, 
who  was  a  guest,  expressed  his  satisfaction  at  being  brought  into 
association  with  international  commerce,  for  that  was  what  the  Pan- 
American  Railway  meant,  he  said.  Senator  Elkins  also  promised 
that  in  the  future  the  recommendations  of  the  Pan-American  con- 
ferences should  have  his  support,  so  that  the  work  of  the  Pan- 
American  Railway  Committee  might  go  on;  for,  he  said,  it  was  a 
beneficent  labor,  which,  when  realized,  would  be  of  enormous  utility 
to  all  the  countries.  The  remarks  made  on  this  occasion  and  the 
letters  read  were  published  both  in  English  and  in  Spanish  in  a 
pamphlet  which  received  a  wide  circulation  and  a  copy  of  which 
accompanies  this  report. 

During  the  last  year  the  work  of  the  committee  has  been  confined 
largely  to  carrying  out  the  provision  of  the  resolution  of  the  Mexican 
Conference  that  it  shall  "furnish  all  possible  information  on  the 
work  of  the  Intercontinental  Railway  and  aid  and  stimulate  the  suc- 
cessful execution  of  said  project  as  much  as  possible."  This  has 
been  done  through  correspondence  in  answering  the  numerous  inquir- 
ies addressed  to  it;  through  the  publicity  obtained  by  supplying  the 
data  for  publications  in  the  newspapers,  magazines,  and  reviews; 
and  through  a  number  of  articles  contributed  by  members  of  the 
committee  to  the  press.  The  demand  for  this  information  is  the  best 


8 

evidence  that  could  be  afforded  of  the  very  general  interest  which  is 
being  awakened  in  the  project,  and  the  committee  believes  that  the 
information  thus  furnished  has  been  of  great  benefit  in  educating 
the  public  of  the  United  States  concerning  not  only  the  commercial 
opportunities  and  the  rich  resources  of  the  countries  which  will  be 
traversed  by  the  Pan-American  Railway,  but  also  in  promoting  a 
better  understanding  among  the  different  peoples,  and  thus  drawing 
the  nations  closer  together. 

It  is  also  gratifying  to  state  that  the  committee  has  reason  to 
believe  very  substantial  results  already  have  accrued  to  several  of 
the  Republics  by  interesting  capitalists  in  their  railway  enterprises 
and  enabling  the  different  countries  to  strengthen  their  own  credit 
and  to  procure  the  financial  means  necessary  for  carrying  on  rail- 
way enterprises.  It  is  noteworthy  that  the  feasibility  of  a  through 
intercontinental  railway  line  has  received  the  indorsement  of  lead- 
ing capitalists  representing  many  forms  of  investment,  such  as  Mr. 
Andrew  Carnegie,  President  Cassatt  of  the  Pennsylvania  system, 
and  Mr.  Thomas  F.  Ryan. 

In  connection  with  the  widespread  interest  which  has  been  mani- 
fested the  chairman  is  permitted  to  quote  a  letter  received  from 
President  Roosevelt  in  which  the  President,  in  thanking  him  for  a 
communication  in  reference  to  the  subject,  says: 

I  am  fully  awake  to  the  importance  of  the  All-American  Railway. 

Secretary  Root,  in  acknowledging  a  letter  of  the  chairman  on 
the  subject  of  the  Pan-American  Railway,  says: 

I  have  read  with  great  interest  your  letter  of  October  20  and  the  table  showing 
our  trade  relations  with  Mexico,  Brazil,  etc.  I  fully  agree  with  you  as  to  the 
immense  importance  and  value  of  railroad  communication. 

The  committee  does  not  think  it  necessary  in  this  report  to  enter 
into  a  detailed  discussion  concerning  the  immense  influence  of  rail- 
ways on  the  development  of  the  internal  resources  and  on  the  do- 
mestic and  foreign  commerce  any  more  than  to  repeat  the  special 
advantages  resulting  from  the  Pan-American  Railway  line,  with  its 
feeders  and  branches. 

This  aspect  of  the  subject  was  summed  up  in  an  article  contrib- 
uted by  the  chairman  to  the  North  American  Review  for  May,  1906. 
In  that  article,  among  other  statements,  these  points  were  made: 

It  is  proper  to  take  into  account  the  general  subject  and  foundation  of  the  pro- 
posed Intercontinental  trunk  line  and  branches.  The  basis  is  a  business  one, 
whether  looked  at  from  the  standpoint  of  the  individual,  of  a  single  nation,  or  of 
the  group  of  nations  which  constitute  the  American  continent.  Railroads  are  built 
to  earn  dividends. 

******* 


For  a  nation  the  dividends  can  not  be  estimated  in  direct  terms  of  interest  on 
bonds  or  of  net  earnings  for  capital  stock.  For  it  the  dividends  are  the  develop- 
ment of  the  local  resources,  the  wider  market  obtained  for  the  products  of  the 
country,  the  increase  of  the  population  through  immigration,  and,  in  a  word,  the 
addition  to  the  wealth  of  the  nation.  There  is  also  the  dividend  which  can  not 
be  estimated  in  terms  of  dollars  and  cents,  because  it  comes  from  the  better  knowl- 
edge which  the  people  of  different  regions  of  the  country  obtain  of  one  another  and 
from  the  cultivation  of  the  national  patriotic  spirit.  This  is  a  clear  case  of  the 
influence  of  frequentand cheap  communication  among  diverse  sections  of  a  country. 
******* 

The  international,  like  the  national,  dividends  are  wider  markets  and  the 
enlarged  trade  which  come  from  increasing  the  means  of  intercourse  between  dif- 
ferent countries.  A  better  understanding  by  one  people  of  another  people  is  cer- 
tainly a  desirable  result,  and  this  is  secured  by  furnishing  means  of  communica- 
tion. The  international  dividend  may  be  said  to  be  one  of  dollars  and  cents  in  the 
way  of  more  commerce,  and  of  peace  in  the  way  of  avoiding  the  misunderstandings 
which  come  from  the  lack  of  intercourse.  In  the  light  of  these  facts,  the  proposed 
Pan-American  Railway  may  be  said  to  offer  returns  to  individuals,  to  the  nations 
as  separate  Republics,  and  to  them  as  part  of  the  family  of  nations  of  the  Western 
Hemisphere. 

******* 

Given  sufficient  tonnage  to  be  created,  there  is  justification  and  encouragement 
for  railway  building.  Where  this  traffic,  or  a  reasonable  portion  of  it,  may  be 
international  there  is  ground  for  an  intercontinental  railway. 

The  Pan-American  routes,  as  surveyed,  parallel  the  Pacific  coast  along  the 
trend  of  the  Andes,  but  they  provide  for  branches  or  feeders  which  will  shoot  out 
toward  the  Atlantic  as  well  as  toward  the  Pacific.  If  their  construction  is  much 
more  difficult  and  costly  than  when  the  water  line  can  be  followed,  there  is  in  its 
business  aspect  the  value  of  the  traffic  that  comes  from  the  tonnage  of  mineral 
regions.  This  tonnage  is  of  the  kind  that  quickly  pays  for  itself. 

It  is  likely  that  the  Intercontinental  line,  in  its  engineering  features,  has  to  over- 
come more  difficult  conditions  in  the  way  of  grades,  curves,  tunnels,  bridges,  cuts, 
and  embankments  than  any  similar  line  of  the  same  length;  but  it  is  also  true  that 
nowhere  is  so  vast  an  area  of  mineral  resources — silver,  copper,  coal,  tin — still  to 
be  opened  up  to  traffic  as  along  the  Andes  Mountains.  It  must  also  be  kept  in 
mind  that  there  are  enormous  timber  areas  and  agricultural  regions  which  are  like- 
wise to  be  developed  and  which  will  create  tonnage. 

The  steamship  service,  from  its  nature,  is  of  little  benefit  in  developing  the  inte- 
rior of  the  country;  the  coast  line  does  not  furnish  a  large  traffic,  and  the  points 
not  reached  by  railroads  create  little  tonnage.  When  this  tonnage  has  to  be 
brought  to  the  market  by  pack  mules  or  wagon  carts  the  cost  is  often  equal  to  the 
value  of  the  products.  The  railway  picks  up  freight  every  few  miles,  but  the 
steamship  service  of  South  America,  on  an  average,  requires  a  land  haul  of  150 
miles  each  way,  or  300  miles  in  all.  This  is  one  reason,  and  a  strong  one,  why 
intercontinental  development  through  railway  connection  is  desirable. 

The  committee,  in  making  this  report,  is  gratified  that  in  almost 
every  phase  of  the  Pan-American  project  it  is  able  to  tell  of  prog- 
ress. This  progress  is  best  shown  by  a  condensed  account  of  the 
condition  in  the  respective  Republics,  and  this  account  is  herewith 
presented,  based  on  information  furnished  the  committee  by  the 
R  c 2 


IO 

diplomatic  representatives  of  the  different  Governments.  It  is  not 
complete  and  final,  since  the  time  required  for  communication  be- 
tween Washington  and  several  of  the  countries  has  made  it  imprac- 
ticable to  secure  the  latest  information  in  time  to  be  included.  Yet 
the  committee  is  assured  that  where  the  information  is  not  as  full  as 
might  be  desired,  it  will  be  supplemented,  and  if  necessary  cor- 
rected, by  the  delegates  to  the  Third  Conference,  who  will  be  able 
to  present  the  very  latest  facts  regarding  railway  progress  in  their 
countries.  But  the  general  situation  as  to  the  Pan-American  line 
and  the  prospects  of  through  railway  communication  between  New 
York  and  Buenos  Aires  and  the  capitals  of  the  other  American  Re- 
publics either  on  the  direct  trunk-line  route  or  on  the  branches  may 
be  had  from  the  following  summary: 

MEXICO. 

The  Republic  of  Mexico  now  has  railway  communication  from 
its  northern  border  along  the  Rio  Grande  at  El  Paso,  Eagle  Pass, 
and  Laredo,  through  the  capital  city  to  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec, 
and  thence  from  the  junction  with  the  Pan-American  line  at  San 
Geronimo  to  within  125  miles  of  Tapachula,  which  is  about  12  miles 
from  the  frontier  of  Guatemala. 

This  is  in  consummation  of  the  policy  of  the  Mexican  Govern- 
ment, entered  upon  years  ago,  of  securing  through  railway  com- 
munication from  its  northern  to  its  southern  limit  by  a  series  of 
connecting  systems.  The  final  steps  in  this  policy  were  the  con- 
struction of  the  Veracruz  and  Pacific,  the  Tehuantepec  National,  and 
the  railway  known  as  the  Pan-American.  The  railway  across  the 
Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec  has  been  rebuilt  within  the  last  two  years; 
the  great  terminal  works  at  Coatzacoalcos  and  Salina  Cruz  are 
now  nearly  completed,  and  this  line  is  open  for  international  com- 
merce across  the  isthmus.  While  this  railroad  has  a  very  important 
relation  to  international  commerce,  it  is  considered  here  only  in 
reference  to  its  value  in  connection  with  the.  Veracruz  and  Pacific 
Railway  as  a  link  in  the  Pan-American  system.  The  line  from  the 
junction  at  San  Geronimo  toward  the  border  of  Guatemala  has 
advanced  beyond  Tonala  to  within  about  125  miles  of  its  proposed 
terminus,  but  since  the  construction  is  proceeding  from  both  ends 
and  probably  will  be  completed  within  a  year  the  committee  thinks 
it  may  be  said  that  through  railway  communication  now  exists  from 
New  York  City  as  far  as  Guatemala,  3,770  miles.  The  Mexican 
links  in  the  Intercontinental  trunk  line  may  be  considered  the  con- 
summation of  the  railroad  policy  inaugurated  by  Gen.  Porfirio  Diaz. 


1 1 
GUATEMALA. 

On  the  Pan-American  location  a  gap  of  only  28  or  30  miles  has 
existed  for  some  years  past  between  the  Guatemalan  system  of  roads 
and  the  Mexican  border.  The  extension  of  the  Guatemala  Central 
in  1903  from  Santa  Maria  to  Mazatenango  added  to  the  links  con- 
structed in  the  Intercontinental  system,  but  it  was  not  considered 
desirable  to  close  the  final  gap  until  the  Mexican  lines  approached 
nearer  the  Guatemala  boundary.  Now  that  these  lines  are  thus 
approaching,  the  committee  is  informed  that  without  question  one 
of  the  various  projects  which  have  received  attention  will  be  adopted 
and  the  section  will  be  built,  thus  providing  through  railway  com- 
munication between  New  York  City  and  Guatemala  City. 

Guatemala  is  now  completing  its  very  important  interoceanic 
line  known  as  the  Northern  Railway,  which  will  place  the  capital  in 
direct  railway  communication  with  Puerto  Barrios,  on  the  Atlantic, 
and  will  give  a  through  route  to  San  Jose,  on  the  Pacific,  a  distance 
of  270  miles.  The  committee  is  informed  that  one  result  of  this 
interoceanic  line  may  be  to  utilize  the  route  to  Zacapa  and  from 
that  point  to  follow  the  location  of  a  line  into  Salvador  for  which 
concessions,  have  already  been  granted.  This  line  would  be  an 
alternative  section  of  the  Pan-American. 

SALVADOR  AND  HONDURAS. 

Detailed  reports  have  not  been  received  from  Salvador  and  Hon- 
duras, but  unofficially  the  committee  has  been  informed  of  the 
expectation  that  the  building  of  the  extension  of  the  Guatemala 
system  from  the  north  and  of  the  Nicaragua  system  from  the  south, 
which  are  in  contemplatio'n,  is  awaited  by  the  Governments  of 
those  countries  before  perfecting  the  plans  for  the  construction  of 
the  intermediate  links.  On  this  subject  it  is  presumed  that  the 
delegates  to  the  Third  Conference  from  Salvador  and  Honduras 
will  be  able  to  give  later  information  than  is  obtainable  at  the  pres- 
ent time  in  Washington. 

.      NICARAGUA. 

In  Nicaragua  the  Government  has  given  concessions  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  line  from  Managua  to  Matagalpa,  and  work  has  already 
begun  on  the  surveys.  This  will  be  an  important  part  of  the  main 
trunk  line,  since  it  runs  from  there  to  Honduras  to  meet  the  line 
coming  from  Mexico  through  Guatemala. 

The  Nicaraguan  Government  is  also  building  a  line  100  miles  in 
length  from  Monkey  Point,  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  to  San  Miguelito, 


12 

on  Lake  Nicaragua,  and  though  this  line  is  not  in  the  Interconti- 
nental path  it  is  expected  to  contribute  to  the  early  completion  of 
the  main  line  through  Nicaragua.  The  committee  is  also  given  to 
understand  that  enterprises  for  construction  which  are  under  con- 
sideration will  place  the  Nicaraguan  lines  closer  to  a  junction  with 
those  of  Costa  Rica. 

COSTA  RICA. 

In  1902  there  were  220  miles  of  railway  in  operation  in  Costa  Rica, 
and  at  the  present  time  there  are  364  miles,  thus  showing  that  142 
miles  have  been  built  since  the  Mexican  Conference.  An  extension 
of  the  Pacific  Railway  to  the  northwest  to  the  city  of  Liberia,  in  the 
Province  of  Guanacaste,  96  miles  in  length,  over  the  Interconti- 
nental survey  is  now  projected,  as  is  also  a  line  in  connection  with 
the  Atlantic  system  to  the  southeast,  about  85  miles  in  length,  to 
Bocas  del  Toro,  in  the  Republic  of  Panama.  The  latter  line  is  in 
conformity  with  the  suggestion  for  alternating  from  the  Pacific  to 
the  Atlantic  coast  in  the  Pan-American  location  through  Costa  Rica. 
These  two  lines,  when  completed,  will  add  materially  to  the  progress 
in  joining  together  the  through  Intercontinental  sections. 

In  relation  to  the  Costa  Rica  railways  the  committee  also  calls 
attention  to  the  construction  of  the  line  between  Santo  Domingo 
and  Esparta,  near  the  Pacific  coast,  which  will  complete  the  Inter- 
oceanic  Railroad  from  Port  Limon,  on  the  Atlantic,  to  Punta  Arenas, 
on  the  Pacific.  United  States  Minister  Merry,  in  an  official  report, 
says  that  the  distance  from  Punta  Arenas  to  Esparta  is  about  15 
miles,  and  thence  to  Santo  Domingo  approximately  the  same.  But 
the  survey  adopted  makes  the  new  section  to  be  constructed  about 
25  miles  long,  through  a  country  mostly  level,  with  only  one  bridge 
of  considerable  length. 

As  in  the  case  of  Guatemala  and  Nicaragua,  the  construction  of 
a  through  interoceanic  'line  in  Costa  Rica  is  important  to  the  gen- 
eral project  of  the  Pan-American  line,  because  the  Pan-American 
will  serve  as  a  main  trunk  or  backbone  for  all  of  them,  and  the  result 
will  be  a  mutual  development  of  commerce  and  interchange  of  traffic. 

PANAMA. 

In  the  Republic  of  Panama  at  this  time  the  information  received 
is  that  no  definite  enterprise  is  under  way  for  building  along  the 
Pacific  coast  location  of  the  Intercontinental  trunk  line,  but  there  is 
a  possibility  that  railway  construction  will  be  undertaken  from  Bocas 
del  Toro  to  the  Canal  Zone,  and  in  this  manner,  by  following  the 
Atlantic  slope,  connection  will  be  made  with  the  projected  Costa 


13 

Rican  line,  and  thus  with  the  parts  of  the  system  joining  Central 
America  and  Mexico.  From  4the  Canal  Zone  southeast  there  is  as 
yet  no  project  for  a  railway  following  the  Intercontinental  survey, 
but  the  hard-wood  forests  and  the  mineral  resources  which  may  be 
opened  up  give  promise  that  before  many  years  railway  construc- 
tion will  be  attempted  in  these  regions,  and  the  natural  route  will 
be  along  the  Intercontinental  location. 

COLOMBIA. 

The  distinguished  President  of  the  Republic  of  Colombia,  Gen. 
Rafael  Reyes,  was  a  member  of  the  Mexican  Conference  and  added 
greatly  to  the  value  of  its  labors  by  his  report  of  the  explorations 
made  by  him  and  his  brothers  of  the  river  systems  of  South  America 
and  their  relation  to  the  Intercontinental  trunk  line.  It  was  there- 
fore very  gratifying  to  the  members  of  the  Permanent  Pan-American 
Railway  Committee,  on  the  occasion  of  General  Reyes'  inauguration 
as  President,  to  receive  from  him  the  assurance  that  among  the 
measures  of  his  Administration  he  hoped  would  be  the  construction 
of  railways  and  particularly  of  the  Pan-American  system. 

While  there  has  not  been  time  for  full  development  of  these  plans, 
the  committee,  through  information  forwarded  to  the  State  Depart- 
ment by  United  States  Minister  Barrett  and  through  other  sources, 
is  able  to  report  the  definite  measures  which  have  been  taken  in 
Colombia.  In  1905  a  concession  was  granted  for  the  construction 
and  exploitation  of  a  railroad  line  from  the  Gulf  of  Uraba,  or  Darien, 
to  the  City  of  Medellin.  This  railway,  which  is  to  be  known  as  the 
Colombia  Central  Railroad,  follows  the  Intercontinental  survey  for 
several  hundred  miles,  and  the  committee-is  informed  by  the  conces- 
sionnaires  that  the  preliminary  work  has  been  done  and  that  con- 
struction will  not  be  long  delayed. 

Another  very  definite  step  has  been  the  provision  made  for  a  line 
from  Buenaventura,  on  the  Pacific  coast,  through  the  Cauca  Valley 
to  Palmira,  a  distance  of  no  miles,  and  then  from  Palmira  to 
Bogota.  According  to  the  advices  of  Minister  Barrett  immediate 
work  is  to  be  begun  and  the  present  short  line  at  Buenaventura  is 
to  be  rebuilt,  after  which  the  extension  to  Palmira  will  be  carried 
through.  Much  of  the  distance  traversed  will  be  along  the  Inter- 
continental location. 

ECUADOR. 

From  unofficial  sources  the  committee  learns  that  the  Guayaquil 
and  Quito  Railroad  in  Ecuador  is  advancing  steadily  toward  com- 
pletion, and  the  sections  already  built  are  handling  considerable 
traffic.  The  railroad  has  now  advanced  beyond  Ambato,  and  from 


14 

Guamote,  through  Ambato,  to  Quito  is  directly  in  the  line  of  the 
Intercontinental  location.  The  Ecuador  Government,  with  a  view 
to  reaching  the  rubber  regions  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Amazon,  has 
granted  a  concession  for  building  a  line  no  miles  in  length,  from 
Ambato  to  Cuareg,  and  more  recently  a  concession  has  been  given 
for  building  a  line  from  Esmeraldas,  on  the  coast,  passing  through 
Ibarra,  to  Quito.  While  this  is  a  feeder  to  the  Pan-American  line, 
Ibarra  is  on  the  direct  route  of  the  Intercontinental  survey  and  the 
section  between  this  point  and  Quito  will  form  a  link  in  the  Pan- 
American  line.  General  Alfaro,  the  President  of  Ecuador,  during 
his  previous  Administration,  initiated  the  policy  of  railway  construc- 
tion, and  there  is  every  reason  to  expect  that  this  policy  will  be  con- 
tinued during  his  present  term,  and  that  considerable  progress  may 
be  looked  for  in  the  construction  of  the  Ecuador  system  of  railways. 

PERU. 

In  Peru  it  is  gratifying  to  report  that  since  the  Mexican  Confer- 
ence an  era  of  activity  in  railway  construction  has  been  inaugurated. 
One  very  important  section  in  the  Pan-American  line  has  been  com- 
pleted and  opened  to  traffic  and  is  serving  a  valuable  purpose  in 
developing  the  mineral  wealth  of  the  Republic.  This  is  the  Oroya 
and  Cerro  de  Pasco  Railway,  which  runs  from  Oroya  to  Cerro  de 
Pasco,  a  distance  of  90  miles  on  the  direct  Intercontinental  location. 
This  line  is  owned  and  operated  by  an  American  company. 

The  Government  of  Peru  has  taken  advanced  steps  for  railway 
construction.  The  first  measure  was  the  passage  of  a  law  creating 
a  special  railway  fund  and  setting  aside  the  proceeds  of  the  tobacco 
tax  solely  for  this  fund,  thus  establishing  a  permanent  guaranty 
for  railroad  construction.  The  Government  also  contracted  for  the 
extension  of  existing  railway  from  Sicuani  along  the  route  to  Cuzco, 
placing  Cuzco  in  direct  rail  communication  with  the  Pacific  Ocean 
by  uniting  Mollendo,  on  the  Pacific,  with  Puno,  on  the  banks  of 
Lake  Titicaca.  When  the  contracts  were  made  for  this  construction 
and  the  first  sections  were  begun  contracts  were  also  entered  into 
for  the  extension  of  the  Central  Railway  from  Oroya  to  Huancayo. 
Both  these  extensions  are  parts  of  the  Pan-American  trunk  line, 
Huancayo  being  about  450  miles  distant  from  Cuzco. 

The  committee  is  informed  that  the  Peruvian  Government  expects 
to  have  these  two  contemplated  terminals  of  the  Central  and  South- 
ern trunks  join  within  two  years.  This  will  establish  rail  com- 
munication between  Lima,  the  actual  capital,  and  Cuzco  the  ancient 
capital  of  Peru,  and  it  is  the  belief  that  with  the  railway  construc- 
tion now  being  carried  on  in  Bolivia  and  Argentina  within  four  years 
there  will  be  across  the  southern  continent  an  oblique  line  from 


Buenos  Aires,  on  the  Atlantic,  to  Mollendo,  on  the  Pacific,  and  not 
long  thereafter  the  through  trunk  between  Cuzco  and  Oroya  also 
will  be  completed,  thus  forming  the  great  southern  section  of  the 
Pan-American  line. 

The  committee  is  further  informed  that  the  negotiation  of  a 
Government  loan  for$i5, 000,000  is  expected  to  be  ultimately  accom- 
plished, with  the  sanction  of  the  Peruvian  Congress,  and  that  part 
of  the  proceeds  of  this  loan  will  be  used  for  the  building  of  a  rail- 
way to  the  eastern  region  from  a  point  on  the  Oroya  and  Cerro  de 
Pasco  Railway  to  a  navigable  point  on  the  Ucayali.  The  Govern- 
ment attaches  great  importance  to  this  branch,  300  miles  in  length, 
which  will  open  new  and  rich  country  and  will  be  to  a  certain  extent 
tributary  to  the  Pan-American  route.  Other  railroads  are  also  pro- 
jected, some  of  which  may  be  constructed  by  private  concerns. 
These  include  lines  from  Pisco  to  Lima,  Cerro  de  Pasco  to  Huacho, 
Piura  to  Maranon,  and  Chimbote  to  Huarez. 

BOLIVIA. 

Bolivia,  whose  railway  system  is  a  direct  development  of  the  Pan- 
American  project,  has  been  able  to  make  marked  progress  in  railway 
construction.  The  National  Congress  authorized  the  Executive  to 
cause  surveys  to  be  made  which,  when  the  lines  following  them  are 
completed,  will  close  up  all  the  gaps  in  the  Pan-American  system 
from  the  boundary  of  the  Argentine  Republic  to  Lake  Titicaca. 
The  lines  for  which  definite  provision  was  made  included  the  routes 
from  the  left  bank  of  the  Desaguedero  River,  opposite  Ulloma,  to 
Oruro;  from  Oruro  to  Cochabamba;  from  Uyuni  to  Potosi,  and 
from  Potosi  to  Tupiza.  These  lines,  with  those  already  existing, 
which  place  La  Paz  in  communication  with  Lake  Titicaca,  assure 
the  through  connection,  since  the  section  from  Tupiza  to  Quiaca,  on 
the  frontier  of  Argentina,  is  provided  for  under  a  treaty  entered  into 
with  the  Argentine  Government  several  years  ago. 

The  Government  of  Bolivia,  under  a  treaty  with  Chile,  also 
secures  a  line  from  Ulloma  to  the  Pacific  port  of  Arica,  and  provision 
is  made  which  later  will  secure  a  line  to  Puerto  Pando,  thus  opening 
up  communication  with  the  navigable  waters  which  are  tributary  to 
the  Amazon. 

Because  of  its  topography  and  geographical  location,  all  railroad 
building  in  Bolivia,  while  opening  up  ways  to  the  ocean,  may  be 
said  to  be  directly  dependent  on  the  spinal  column  which  is  formed 
by  the  Intercontinental  location.  These  systems  are  therefore  im- 
portant, both  in  themselves  and  as  feeders  to  the  main  trunk  line. 

It  is  a  source  of  satisfaction  to  state  that  the  cash  capital  with 


i6 

which  Bolivia  is  provided,  to  the  amount  of  $10,000,000,  is  supple- 
mented by  capital  raised  in  the  United  States,  and  that  the  con- 
struction of  the  lines  which  constitute  links  in  the  Pan-American 
route  will  be  undertaken  by  important  New  York  financial  interests. 
The  committee  is  unofficially  informed  that  the  lines  which  New 
York  financial  interests  have  contracted  with  the  Bolivian  Govern- 
ment to  build  make  a  total  of  more  than  600  miles,  to  be  constructed 
during  the  next  five  years. 

ARGENTINE   REPUBLIC. 

The  Argentine  Republic  system  of  railways  had  been  carried  on 
so  steadily  that  when  the  Mexican  Conference  was  held,  Buenos 
Aires  was  already  in  communication  with  the  town  of  Jujuy,  1,000 
miles  to  the  northwest.  The  Argentine  delegation  to  that  confer- 
ence, in  presenting  the  report  which  showed  how  progressive  their 
Government  had  been  in  railway  construction  and  how  fully  the 
national  resources  had  been  developed,  stated  the  measures  for  pro- 
longing the  lines  north  into  Bolivia.  This  prolongation  has  been 
going  forward  over  the  Intercontinental  route,  though  retarded  for 
a  time  by  engineering  difficulties  and  by  other  causes.  Neverthe- 
less, the  work  at  no  time  was  abandoned  and  at  different  periods 
announcement  has  been  made  of  short  sections  opened  up  for  traffic. 

The  committee  at  the  present  time  is  not  definitely  informed 
when  the  boundary  at  La  Quiaca  will  be  reached,  but  unofficially  it 
has  information  that  this  may  be  expected  within  another  year,  and 
that  then  the  work  will  be  pushed  rapidly  over  the  Bolivian  section 
to  Tupiza.  The  Bolivian  Government  having  decided  to  build  the 
line  from  Tupiza  to  Potosi,  instead  of  from  Tupiza  to  Uyuni,  this 
Tupiza-Potosi  section  may  be  looked  upon  as  the  natural  prolonga- 
tion of  the  Argentine  system.  The  committee  is  not  advised  up  to 
this  time  whether  the  tentative  propositions  for  its  construction  under 
guaranty  from  the  Argentine  Republic  have  been  made  the  basis  of  a 
formal  contract  between  the  two  Governments,  but  the  railway  devel- 
opments indicate  the  union  of  the  railway  lines  of  Argentina,  Bolivia, 
and  Peru  within  a  few  years. 

CHILE. 

Railway  construction  in  Chile  proceeds  along  routes  which  insure 
that  the  lines  of  that  country  will  be  connected  with  the  Pan- 
American  system.  The  longitudinal  railroad  system  of  the  Govern- 
ment has  advanced  to  the  south  of  latitude  40°  and  in  the  far  north 
it  is  being  prolonged  to  communicate  with  La  Serena,  in  latitude 
30°.  Studies  have  been  made  with  the  purpose  of  uniting  various 
branches  which  will  place  the  longitudinal  line  in  communication 


with  Iquique,  latitude  20°.  From  there  it  is  projected  to  continue 
the  work  north  toward  Arica.  The  contract  has  been  made  for  the 
construction  of  the  railroad  from  Arica  to  La  Paz,  the  capital  of 
Bolivia,  and  this  line  will  be  constructed  by  the  Government  of 
Chile. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  present  year  the  railway  which  joins  the 
central  system  of  Chile  with  the  western  entrance  of  the  tunnel, 
through  the  cordillera  of  the  Andes,  communicating  with  the  Argen- 
tine railways,  was  completed  and  it  is  expected  that  the  tunnel  will 
be  finished  within  two  years.  The  importance  of  this  trans-Andine 
tunnel,  which  will  unite  the  city  of  Valparaiso,  on  the  Pacific,  with 
Buenos  Aires,  on  the  Atlantic,  was  fully  understood  for  many  years 
and  numerous  efforts  were  made  to  carry  the  project  through,  but 
from  time  to  time  they  were  abandoned.  It  is  very  gratifying  to 
note  that  the  legislation  and  the  financial  guaranty  authorized  by 
the  Congress  of  Chile,  which  insures  success,  have  been  enacted  since 
the  Mexican  Conference,  and  this  trans-Andine  tunnel  may  be  con- 
sidered as  one  of  the  most  important  advances  in  South  American 
railway  projects  that  has  been  undertaken  since  the  report  was  made 
to  that  conference.  Its  completion  will  be  the  consummation  of 
a  really  gigantic  enterprise  that  has  been  an  aspiration  for  half  a 
century. 

URUGUAY. 

The  committee  is  informed  that  the  definite  railway  policy  which 
was  adopted  by  Uruguay  several  years  since  is  now  being  followed 
out,  and  the  lines  of  the  country  are  being  extended  in  accordance 
with  that  policy,  which  recognized  the  exceptional  importance  of 
the  Uruguayan  railways  as  a  means  of  international  communication. 
The  lines  in  operation  are  the  Central  Railroad,  which  starts  from 
Montevideo  and  reaches  the  Brazilian  frontier  at  Santa  Ana  do 
Livramente,  so  that  it  could  easily  be  made  to  form  a  junction  with 
the  Brazilian  lines,  and  the  Midland  Railway,  which  follows  a  north- 
westerly route  till  it  reaches  the  Brazilian  town  of  San  Juan  Bautista. 

It  is  proper  to  recall  here  the  very  important  contribution  to  the 
literature  of  the  Pan-American  Railway  which  was  made  by  Senor 
Juan  Jose  Castro,  a  distinguished  citizen  of  Uruguay,  in  his  treatise 
on  the  South  American  railways.  This  volume  has  been  a  mine  of 
useful  information  in  showing  the  basis  of  the  Pan-American  project 
and  the  relation  of  the  various  South  American  countries  to  it.  It 
also  has  been  of  great  value  in  exhibiting  the  other  important  inter- 
oceanic  project  of  a  line  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  starting  at 
Brazil,  crossing  the  Andes,  and  reaching  the  ports  of  Chile.  The 
Uruguayan  railways  have  now  advanced  to  the  Brazilian  border  and 


i8 

through  communication,  it  may  be  confidently  expected,  will  some 
day  be  established. 

The  most  recent  project  is  the  prolongation  of  the  Central  Rail- 
way from  Nico  Perez  to  Paso  de  Centurion,  at  the  boundary  with 
Brazil,  to  the  northeast  through  the  city  of  Melo,  with  a  branch  to 
the  town  of  Treinta  y  Tres.  This  line  will  cover  a  distance  of  185 
miles,  crossing  the  only  fertile  zone  lacking  railroad  communication 
with  the  rest  of  the  country. 

PARAGUAY. 

Official  information  has  not  been  received  regarding  the  railways 
of  Paraguay,  but  the  project  for  bringing  Buenos  Aires  within  a 
sixty-hour  railway  journey  to  Asuncion,  via  Entre  Rios,  by  complet- 
ing the  line  from  Port  Ruiz  to  Ibicuy  and  ferrying  to  Zarate,  may  be 
considered  even  more  important  to  Paraguay  than  to  Argentina. 
The  committee  recalls  with  satisfaction  that  the  President  of  that 
Republic,  Dr.  Cecilio  Baez,  was  a  member  of  the  Mexican  Con- 
ference and  was  active  in  his  cooperation  in  the  work  of  the  Pan- 
American  Railway  Committee.  Under  his  administration  there  is 
every  reason  to  hope  that  the  national  aspirations  of  Paraguay, 
which  include  railway  connection  with  the  Pan-American  system 
through  a  line  to  the  boundary  of  Bolivia,  will  be  encouraged  by 
practical  measures. 

BRAZIL. 

Since  the  sessions  of  the  conference  will  be  held  in  the  capital  of 
Brazil,  where  the  fullest  and  most  recent  information  regarding  rail- 
way construction  in  that  progressive  nation  will  be  obtainable,  the 
committee  does  not  attempt  to  present  the  facts  here,  but  contents 
itself  with  expressing  the  hope  that  the  policy  of  the  Brazilian 
Government,  as  explained  to  the  Special  Commissioner,  heretofore 
referred  to,  when  visiting  that  country — which  policy  contemplates 
lines  reaching  from  the  Amazon  and  from  the  Atlantic  ports  to  the 
great  undeveloped  regions  of  the  interior  to  the  foothills  of  the 
Andes — will  be  realized. 

VENEZUELA. 

The  relation  of  Venezuela  to  the  Pan-American  Railway  project, 
as  is  well  understood,  is  that  of  a  branch  from  the  main  trunk  in 
Colombia,  which  would  form  a  junction  in  Venezuela  with  lines  to 
the  seaports  and  also  with  a  railway  system  stretching  out  toward 
Brazil.  The  facilities  for  transportation  afforded  by  the  river  sys- 
tems of  Venezuela  have  caused  the  attention  of  railway  builders  to 


'9 

be  turned  chiefly  to  the  opportunities  for  construction  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  country.  The  branch  from  the  Intercontinental  main 
line  would  run  from  Medellin,  in  Colombia,  via  Puerto  Barrio,  Pam- 
plona, Merida,  and  Trujillo,  to  Valencia,  where  it  would  effect  a 
junction  with  the  railway  now  in  operation  to  Caracas. 

While  no  steps  are  in  prospect  in  the  immediate  future  for  build- 
ing this  branch,  the  committee  is  nevertheless  informed  that  it  has 
not  been  overlooked  in  the  general  railway  legislation  of  the  country. 

In  order  to  show  the  position  of  the  Pan-American  lines  with 
reference  to  the  various  countries  the  map  is  annexed*  which  was 
prepared  under  the  direction  of  the  committee  to  accompany  the 
report  of  the  Special  Commissioner.  The  map  does  not  indicate 
everything  that  has  been  done  because,  it  is  gratifying  to  state,  there 
has  been  additional  construction  since  it  was  prepared;  but  it  may 
be  found  useful  in  showing  the  progress  that  the  project  is  making. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  data  received  by  the  committee  will 
be  supplemented  by  later  intelligence  presented  to  the  conference, 
the  committee  does  not  deem  it  advisable  to  undertake  a  full  descrip- 
tion of  the  existing  lines,  the  lines  under  actual  construction,  and 
those  for  which  provision  has  been  made.  However,  it  summarizes 
these  in  the  general  statement  that  out  of  the  10,400  miles  between 
New  York  and  Buenos  Aires  along  the  line  of  the  proposed  Pan- 
American  Railway  at  this  date  there  are  not  more  than  3,700  miles 
of  Intercontinental  Railway  sections  not  specifically  provided  for. 

The  committee  under  whose  direction  the  Intercontinental  sur- 
veys were  made,  and  of  which  Mr.  A.  J.  Cassatt  was  chairman, 
approximated  the  cost  at  about  $32,000  a  mile;  but  allowing  the 
largest  estimate  for  railway  construction,  which  is  $50,000  per  mile, 
this  would  mean  that  the  expenditure  of  $185,000,000  would  insure 
the  completion  of  all  these  sections.  This  certainly  is  not  beyond 
the  resources  of  the  twelve  or  fifteen  Republics  which  are  interested 
and  which  could  give  substantial  aid  by  large  concessions  of  land 
and  the  granting  of  credit.  It  is  very  little  more  than  what  the 
Dominion  of  Canada  will  pay  for  its  new  transcontinental  line,  the 
main  trunk  of  which  from  ocean  to  ocean  will  be  about  as  long  as 
the  uncompleted  sections  of  th'e  Pan-American  line.  It  is  not  too 
much  to  assume  that  the  various  Republics,  by  cooperation  among 
themselves  and  with  the  United  States,  can  do  as  much  as  the 
Dominion  of  Canada  is  doing  for  itself.  The  total  sum  distributed 
among  them  would  not  be  large  and  the  returns  would  justify  the 
expenditures  made  by  each  nation  within  its  own  borders,  because 
every  section  of  the  Pan-American  line  that  is  built  both  develops 

*  See  map  in  report  herewith  of  C.  M.  Pepper,  Commissioner. 


2O 

the  local  traffic  and,  by  widening  the  trade  zone,  helps  to  create 
traffic  in  adjoining  regions. 

In  reviewing  the  work  of  the  committee  and  in  giving  the  status 
of  the  project  in  the  various  Republics,  it  is  fitting  to  acknowledge 
the  very  cordial  assistance  which  has  been  afforded  by  the  diplomatic 
representatives  accredited  in  Washington.  They  have  at  all  times 
endeavored  to  furnish  the  committee  with  the  information  sought, 
and  have  aided  in  its  efforts  to  give  publicity  to  the  general  subject. 

Since  its  original  appointment  some  changes  have  been  made  in 
the  personnel  of  the  committee.  In  April,  1905,  the  committee 
added  Mr.  Charles  M.  Pepper  to  its  membership.  In  March  of  the 
same  year  the  committee  suffered  the  loss  of  one  of  its  most  active 
and  respected  members  in  the  death  of  Sefior  Manuel  de  Aspiroz, 
the  ambassador  from  Mexico.  Ambassador  de  Aspiroz  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  committee  from  its  organization,  and  he  gave  to  its  work 
the  same  earnest  endeavor  and  intelligent  effort  that  were  con- 
spicuous in  his  career  as  a  soldier  of  his  country,  a  statesman,  and 
a  diplomat. 

In  February  of  the  present  year  Mr.  Joaquin  de  Casasus,  the 
worthy  successor  of  Ambassador  de  Aspiroz,  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  committee,  and  he  has  since  given  it  the  benefit  of  his  counsel 
and  advice. 

The  Pan-American  Railway  to-day  is  as  deserving  of  support  as 
when  Mr.  Elaine,  then  Secretary  of  State,  in  presenting  to  President 
Harrison  the  report  of  the  Railway  Committee  of  the  Washington 
Conference,  said: 

No  more  important  recommendation  has  come  from  the  International  Ameri- 
can Conference,  and  I  earnestly  commend  it  to  your  attention  with  full  confidence 
that  prompt  action  will  be  taken  by  Congress  to  enable  this  Government  to 
participate  in  the  promotion  of  the  enterprise.  In  no  other  way  could  the  Gov- 
ernment and  people  of  the  United  States  contribute  so  much  to  the  development 
and  prosperity  of  our  sister  Republics  and  at  the  same  time  to  the  expansion  of 
our  commerce. 

President  Harrison,  in  transmitting  the  report  to  Congress 
recommending  the  survey  of  a  route  for  an  intercontinental  line  of 
railroad  to  connect  the  systems  of  North  America  with  those  of  the 
southern  continent,  declared: 

It  should  not  be  forgotten  that  it  is  possible  to  travel  by  land  from  Washington 
to  the  southernmost  capital  of  South  America,  and  that  the  opening  of  railroad 
communication  with  these  friendly  States  will  give  to  them  and  to  us  facilities  for 
intercourse  and  the  exchanges  of  trade  that  are  of  special  value.  The  work  con- 
templated is  vast  but  entirely  practicable. 


21 

President  Roosevelt,  in  his  instructions  to  the  United  States  dele- 
gation to  the  Mexican  Conference,  gave  expression  to  this  sentiment: 

The  magnificent  conception  of  an  international  railroad  connecting  the  United 
States  with  the  remotest  parts  of  South  America  may  at  last  be  realized. 

A  review  of  the  work  accomplished  since  that  conference  shows 
steady  progress,  both  in  educating  public  sentiment  to  the  benefits 
of  the  Intercontinental  line  and  in  the  practical  measures  which  have 
resulted  in  the  construction  of  numerous  sections  of  the  main  trunk. 
How  far  the  sentiments  of  fraternity  among  all  the  nations  and  peo- 
ples of  the  three  Americas  have  been  strengthened,  the  holding  of 
international  American  conferences  shows.  The  past  conferences 
have  given  every  encouragement  to  continue  the  work,  and  with  the 
results  achieved  now  laid  before  the  delegates  of  the  various  Repub- 
lics gathered  in  the  Brazilian  conference  the  committee  leaves  the 
subject  to  that  distinguished  international  assembly  with  the  hope 
that  it  will  give  this  most  important  question  the  consideration  it 
deserves  and  determine  what  further  steps  can  best  be  taken  toward 
the  realization  of  the  Pan-American  Railway  project. 

The  chairman  regrets  his  inability  to  accept  the  invitation  so 
kindly  extended  him  by  the  Governing  Board  of  the  International 
Bureau  of  the  American  Republics  to  attend  the  conference,  but 
has  pleasure  in  presenting  this  report  and  accompanying  documents 
through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  W.  I.  Buchanan,  chairman  of  the  United 
States  delegation. 

Respectfully  submitted. 

(Signed)  H.  G.  DAVIS, 

Chairman, 
Permanent  Pan-American  Railway  Committee. 


ANNEXES. 


No.  i.   Map  of  proposed  Intercontinental  Railway  and  connections. 
No.  2.    Report    of    the    Pan-American    Railway    Committee   of   the 

Mexican  Conference. 

No.  3.   Report  of  Special  Commissioner  Charles  M.  Pepper. 
No.  4.    Proceedings  at  dinner  given   in  Washington   by  Chairman 

Davis. 

23 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


;::. 


DOT 

RENEWAL     OC1 


RENEWAL    DEC 


1  8  1966 


i  m 

3  me 


JAN  17, 96- , 


Form  L9-50m-7,'54 (5990)444 


Cyoy/orci  • 

PAMPHIET   BINDER 

^^   Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
•    Stockton,  Calif. 


A     000  229  440     3 


